The Met Needs for Pediatric Surgical Conditions in Sierra Leone: Estimating the Gap

Johan Von Schreeb,Carmen Mesas Burgos,Håkon Angell Bolkan,Johan Von Screeb,Lars Hagander,Donald Bash-Taqi

doi:10.1007/s00268-017-4244-8

Abstract

BackgroundIn low- and middle-income countries, there is a gap between the need for surgery and its equitable provision, and a lack of proxy indicators to estimate this gap. Sierra Leone is a West African country with close to three million children. It is unknown to what extent the surgical needs of these children are met.AimTo describe a nationwide provision of pediatric surgical procedures and to assess pediatric hernia repair as a proxy indicator for the shortage of surgical care in the pediatric population in Sierra Leone.MethodsWe analyzed results from a nationwide facility survey in Sierra Leone that collected data on surgical procedures from operation and anesthesia logbooks in all facilities performing surgery. We included data on all patients under the age of 16 years undergoing surgery. Primary outcomes were rate and volume of surgical procedures. We calculated the expected number of inguinal hernia in children and estimated the unmet need for hernia repair.ResultsIn 2012, a total of 2381 pediatric surgical procedures were performed in Sierra Leone. The rate of pediatric surgical procedures was 84 per 100,000 children 0–15 years of age. The most common pediatric surgical procedure was hernia repair (18%), corresponding to a rate of 16 per 100,000 children 0–15 years of age. The estimated unmet need for inguinal hernia repair was 88%.ConclusionsThe rate of pediatric surgery in Sierra Leone was very low, and inguinal hernia was the single most common procedure noted among children in Sierra Leone.

Highlights

The global burden of surgical conditionsFive billion people do not have access to safe and affordable surgical care when needed [1, 2]
A total of 2381 surgical procedures were recorded in children 0–15 years in Sierra Leone during 2012, corresponding to not more than 10% of all surgical procedures performed in the country that year
The most common surgical procedure performed in children was hernia repair

Summary

Introduction

The global burden of surgical conditionsFive billion people do not have access to safe and affordable surgical care when needed [1, 2]. 75% of the world’s population lives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) [3], only 6% of all surgical procedures worldwide are estimated to be performed on the poorest 37% of the world’s population [2]. An additional 143 million surgical procedures are needed each year [2], and surgery could avert 1.5 million annual deaths [2], 6–7% of all avoidable deaths in low- and middle-income countries [5]. In low- and middle-income countries, there is a gap between the need for surgery and its equitable provision, and a lack of proxy indicators to estimate this gap.

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